Utilities
Three of Britain’s largest energy companies have been fined a total £4.6 million for failing to meet targets to insulate the homes of low-income households. As a result of their failure, more than 2,000 low-income households — almost a third of those covered by the scheme — missed out on loft insulation, new boilers and other measures to cut their bills during the cold winter of 2012-2013. Ofgem said that executives from two of the companies, SSE and Scottish Power, knew well in advance that they would miss the targets but still failed to spend more money on the government scheme. Scottish Power and SSE were fined £2.4 million and £1.75 million respectively. A third company, GDF Suez, which owns a fleet of power stations, was fined £450,000.
Times 13th Dec 2014 read more »
EDF
A team of international experts led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has completed a review of the corporate performance of French utility EDF. The team noted several good practices at EDF and proposed suggestions to strengthen some safety measures. The IAEA said that the Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) – which included experts from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Slovak Republic, Russia and the USA – completed its review on 9 December. The team was assembled by the IAEA at the request of the French government.
World Nuclear News 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Flamaville
Machine translated: While the Flamanville EPR (Cotentin) is under construction for seven years, EDF has still not provided a satisfactory answer to the fundamental issues of nuclear safety. So much so that the official experts call “regression” a recent EDF choice for the safety of the EPR. Time is running out to electricians, who has more than a few months to complete the safety demonstration of the EPR.
Journal de L’Energie 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Terror
A new nuclear detection technology is set to provide ports and customs authorities with a cheaper and more efficient method of countering terrorists seeking to smuggle materials such as uranium, plutonium or radiological components for ‘dirty bombs.’
The Engineer 12th Dec 2014 read more »
South Korea
South Korea’s nuclear power operator Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) will need to take out over $2 billion-worth of insurance after nuclear regulators announced a ten-fold increase in the liability limit in the event of a nuclear accident.
World Nuclear News 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Iran
The European Union confirmed Friday that talks between Iran and world powers on Tehran’s nuclear programme will resume on December 17 in Geneva. The talks, first announced in a report from Iran on Thursday, will be at the level of senior officials rather than ministers, the EU’s diplomatic service said.
EU Business 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Iran has continued to buy essential materials for its heavy water reactor at Arak, according to a leaked United Nations report. Commentators have since weighed in on whether this procurement, which is clearly in breach of UN sanctions, would also violate the interim agreement signed by America, Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia (or P5+1) and Iran in Geneva in November last year placing constraints on the latter’s nuclear programme.
Telegraph 12th Dec 2014 read more »
Biomass
Shares in the owner of the UK’s largest power stations fell by almost 13pc in early trading on Friday as a government department proposed a change to subsidies for biomass plants. The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) said that generators which convert stations from burning coal to biomass, or increase co-firing – replacing part of their fuel with a renewable alternative – could stand to lose Government support.
Telegraph 12th Dec 2014 read more »
